Arctic Ozone Hole Caused By COLD Weather

Ozone hole above the Arctic has actually been caused by COLD weather, say scientists after high-altitude aircraft survey

By Rob Waugh, The Daily Mail

The first ozone hole above the North Pole has been aggravated by extraordinarily cold winter temperatures, say scientists.

Cooling of the ozone layer enhances the effect of ozone-destroying substances such as chlorofluorocarbons - CFC.

A repeated ozone hole above the Arctic is to be expected, say scientists from the KIT Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research.

About a year ago, the scientists detected that ozone degradation above the Arctic for the first time reached an extent comparable to that of the ozone hole above the South Pole.

At a level of around 13 miles above the ground, 80 per cent of the ozone was lost, potentially exposing people on Earth's surface to harmful ultraviolet-B rays from the sun, which can cause sunburn and skin cancer.